ATLANTA MAKEUP ARTIST | SAJ MACK| FASHION | FILM TV | BRIDAL | www.makeupbysaj.com

Face the Week Wednesdays: Copper Winged Eye

2012-01-25T13:48:00.001-05:00

Sofia Vergara's Golden Globe Makeup was one of my top picks from the evening. ( see the rest here)
Her makeup was kept really fresh with subtle dynamic eyes and a bold lip.
This is a fantastic look to try out for spring!

Here's how:

-Apply Copper Eyeshadow close to lash line and wing the edges out, build up thickness of the line to your preference or eye shape.
-Line upper lash line with a thin line of black keeping close to the lashes.

-Apply faux lashes and a coat of mascara

-Apply a rosy pink blush to apples of cheek

-Finish with a raspberry shade of lipstick and blot on tissue to remove excess.

Shop the look below!

Face Blush by Bobbi Brown

Bargain Brush Strokes: Top Drugstore Makeup Brushes

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Brushes & Applicators Sets by Ulta
Beauty Tools by Ulta

Brushes are an important part of your makeup kit and are also one of the most expensive purchases you can make. They generally are the difference between a sloppy makeup job and a well applied makeup job...even if you are a novice.

With brushes that run at $35-$65 a piece many every day women tend to over look brushes and stick to the awful sponge thingies that come with compacts...might as well clean your ears with them instead -_-

On the same hand, buying cheap brushes do more harm than good. There is nothing worse than a poor quality brush...not grabbing pigment, so scratchy it won't apply smoothly not to mention falling apart on you.

As a pro I invest in my brushes as they are tools that I need to work with and to last a life time, but for the average woman out there who only wants to apply their makeup well, there are some excellent options both in quality and in price.

Here are my Top 4 Choices for quality affordable brushes for your DIY pro applications:

Eco Tools:

Bamboo Bronzer brush $12.99 and Bamboo 6 piece Eye Brush Set $7.99

Earth Friendly Beauty, these brushes not only look cute but are cruelty free and made from recycled materials. They come in various sets with carrying cases also made from recycled materials and are available in basically every major drugstore and supermarket. What better way to go green than this!

Sonia Kashuk:

Sonia Kashuk Couture Brush Set $14.99

Sonia Kashuk brushes and quality, on a budget, on a ~~stick~~ handle. Made by a Makeup Artist so you can rest assured that the make and quality is there. Her brushes also feature really trendy and cute seasonal designs for added personality. These brushes can be found exclusively at Target.

Real Techniques:

Real Techniques Core Collection $17.99

Another line created by Pro Makeup Artist Sam Chapman, known to many as Pixiwoo youtube guru. The Real Techniques brush line combines pro expertise on what a brush should do and innovative design. The handles are made to stand upright and are colour coded to make use easy. No more "What is this brush for?" Real Techniques brushes are available at Ulta.

Face Secrets:

Face Secrets Foundation Brush $9.99

Face Secrets is a brand that provides cosmetic tools such as sponges, disposable applicators and also includes a full makeup brush line (possibly) exclusive to Sallys Beauty Supply. Sold in only single pieces, I randomly picked up a few eyeshadow brushes and powder brushes and was pleasantly surprised at the quality, and for the price there's no harm!

Now that you have great tools to apply your makeup with, be sure to pick up a brush cleaner. Brushes should be washed at least once a week ( personal brushes of course). If you guys would like a post on how to clean and maintain your new brushes comment below!

Brushes & Applicators Sets by Ulta

Ask Saj: How to Make Eyeshadow Last

2012-01-20T17:20:00.000-05:00

Chanelle S asks:

"How do you get eye shadow to stay/look bold. I have oily skin

and when I put on eye shadow it always wipes off or I don't really see it."

Hey Chanelle!

In order to have bold long lasting eye makeup, it's important to prime your eye lids before applying eyeshadow. Here are a few easy tips that will help your shadow work way better for you.

Priming the Eye Lid:

-When applying your foundation or concealer you should also apply it over your eyelids. (not to much or it will crease)

- Do not powder the foundation/concealer over the eyes, your eyeshadow will act as your setting powder as the "wet" texture will allow the shadow to grab on.

- Apply your eyeshadow. If you do see a crease blend it out with your finger before applying eyeshadow.

Instead of using your foundation or concealer to do this, you can also use an eye primer which was formulated for this exact reason and is available in many brands and different price points. This is a great option for the ladies that prefer powder foundations.

Additionally I like to use cream eye shadows as a base which works just a well. Check out the swatches below to see the differences in using the options mentioned above to prime eyes.

Using these tips can definitely make a cheap shadow look good and a good shadow even better. If you find that there are still issues in the way the shadow applies then it's time to dump that shadow and get a different brand.

Hope this helps!

Check out some eye primer options below:

eye primer

Face the Week Wednesdays: Fresh Faced

2012-01-18T13:38:00.002-05:00

Face the Week Wednesdays: Makeup Ideas FTW is back with fresh new inspiration for spring!

The celebs were getting a bit dull with their makeup routines but as it's awards season the glam has returned!

We have here Jessia Biel sporting the ultimate natural look that every woman should have in their arsenal for spring. The grass shouldn't be the only thing dewy this season!

To Get the Look follow these easy steps below:

- Apply a strong moisturizer to your face and allow to sit

-Apply your foundation base choose something liquid or creamy instead of powder to get the fresh look

-Apply pink cream blush with fingers to apples of cheek

-Sweep cream coloured shadow over entire eye, highlight inner corner with bone shadow

-Dab pearl cream/liquid highlighter on the tops of cheek, down the nose and over cupids bow

-Apply a natural faux lash if needed and a light coat of mascara

-Lightly powder T zone for shine

-Apply creamy textured pink lipstick

There you have it!

Shop the look below:

Face Concealer by Guerlain

First Cover for 2012

2012-01-17T13:20:00.000-05:00

I finally got a copy of my first Cover for the new year! yay!!!! It looks great in print and I cant wait to add it to my portfolio! Check out some snap shots below

Yay!!!! I'm sooo glad this shoot was successful and that I didn't get electrocuted standing outside in a thunder storm LOL. I was soo happy with the makeup and hair ^_^

Thankfully Brynne agreed to bleaching her brows :) which I would have still even if she said no...shhhhhhhh she doesn't know that tho :P :P

See the story in detail on www.makeupbysaj.com

Team Credits:

Makeup: SAJ

Hair: SAJ

Photography: Elvis Piedra

Styling: Darryl Anderson

Model: Brynne R.

Golden Globes: The Beauty Cateogry

2012-01-16T00:11:00.000-05:00

The 2012 Golden Globes was as always a Red Carpet fashion and beauty gala, of course we are anxious to find out if our fave's have won or were robbed...but whats really most important is the red carpet arrivals.

This year the dresses were mostly fab and the makeup and hair flawless. The major beauty trends on the red carpet were deffinitely The Red Lip and a Fresh Natural Face gearing towards spring.

Here are my fave makeup looks of the evening.

Sajie Award for Best Makeup and Hair:

ANGELINA JOLIE-PITT
Angelina's makeup is FLAWLESS and goes perfectly with her dress loved the regal bun love love!

Sajie for Best Supporting Makeup and Hair:

ROONEY MARA
I absolutely loved this makeup the dramatic eye sculpted cheeks and soft but bold lips. PERFECT and what you'd expect to see down a runway. I also liked her hair, I felt it suited her really well

Sajies for Top 10 Hair and Makeup cast:

ARIEL WINTER
Perfect hair and flawless makeup, love the smokey eye with a fresh face keeping it young. Adorable in her dress too!

JESSICA ALBA
Perfectly Applied makeup, love the matching cheek and lip and the big lashes, Not super big on the brow shape with those sized lashes, but still pretty nonetheless

JESSICA BIEL
I love the soft messy curls and the dark hair! Makeup naturally perfect! and Gorgeous shade of pink.

KELLY OSBOURNE
Makeup Perfection as always, loved the chignon

LEAH MICHELLE
Loved her Sparkly Grey smokey eye to her show stopping dress, love the lip colour!

MILA KUNIS
perfectly applied makeup a modern take on a classic look.

EMMA STONE
I loved Emma's "super hero" dress the colour fit was gorge on her, the metallic smokey eye and messy up do just worked so well as an overall look.

SARAH HYLAND
Cute bronze smokey eye and curled updo, chic and age appropriate!

SOFIA VERGARA
Loved her makeup the coppery winged eye and berry lip with her sleek hair. Looked amazing with her gown

ZOOEY DESCHANEL
l Loved her eyes! the playful faux bottom lashes and the bold top lashes made for a captivating look beneath her bangs.

CraigsList Casting: Atlanta

2012-01-15T01:33:00.000-05:00

*click to see larger*

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cwg/2800523564.html

WHAT HE SAID.

The. End.

Bye.

CHANEL Spring Collection 2012

2012-01-11T18:26:00.000-05:00

For Spring 2012 CHANEL brings us HARMONIE DE PRINTEMPS
A Complexion in the Light of Dawn, Peter Philips Creative Director of Chanel took inspiration from the changes that spring brings: "The freshness of dawn, the warmth of the setting sun, and the brightness of spring days ahead"

The collection features a colour template of Rose, Corals and Peachy hues for lips, cheeks and eyes, making this an insanely fresh and feminine collection, perfect for spring.

Check out some of the collection below!

BLUSH HORIZON DE CHANEL $58

POUDRE UNIVERSELLE COMPACTE $45

ROUGE COCO SHINE Hydrating Sheer Lipshine $32

LÈVRES SCINTILLANTES Glossimer $29.50

LES 4 OMBRES QUADRA EYE SHADOW in Éclosion (Peach, Gold, Beige, Plum) $57

LE VERNIS NAIL COLOUR April (Garnet), May (Intense Pink) and June (Pastel Apricot), $25

I'm super excited about the nail colours especially June which is a Pastel Apricot. Will you be picking up this collection?

How Much Should that Makeover Cost?

2012-01-09T12:07:00.000-05:00

I decided to do this blog post as an outreach to the artists, both new and old, but mostly new on the topic of rates and undercutting the market.

I have to start with a disclaimer: This post is NOT telling you how much YOU should charge, you need to work that out yourself with your market in mind.

I sincerely hope that my point is understood and that everyone takes the time to read exactly what I'm saying.

To start off, today on my Facebook Fanpage, I asked fellow makeup artists to do some maths for me and total the cost of a list of BASIC products that would be standard for creating ONE makeup look.

Of course these things vary per artist, but these are the general items used in creating a look:

- 1 Foundation

-1 Concealer

-1 Powder

-1 Blush

-3 Eyeshadows

-1 Eyeliner

-Brow pencil

-1 Mascara

-1 Pair False Lashes

-1 Lipliner

-1 Lipcolour/lipstick/gloss (whichever)

The average total that I got was $218.37 with the Highest being $273 and the lowest $193.

This isn't about high end/professional brands vs department/drug store brands either.

Whats the point?

Basically to give you ( you as in a general you -_-) a different way to look at your expenses, cost and worth as an artist.

Logically if it cost you $195 just for materials for ONE face, not counting in your skill or additional tools such as brushes, disposables etc, exactly how can you logically charge for e.g $30 for a make up look which includes most if not all of the products listed above?

Yes of course you get more than one use out of each product, but what if your client's daughter knocks your powder/foundation over and it breaks? or someone steals an item? You have to pay cost + tax possibly shipping to replace it.

So...exactly what did you make that day then?

I've had makeup artists undercut me so many times, for e.g. I quote $100 other says well I can do $45.

The $45 artist, drives for 45 minutes to location, uses gas and kit materials, drops a compact powder and breaks it, stops to restock on the disposables used up, stops for gas then drives back home for 45 minutes.

Add up the cost of gas, materials, replacing that compact etc and I guarantee you its more than $45, if it is less then should your profit of the day really only be $10?

¯\\_(•͡ •͡)_//¯

Again this isn't exactly a template on HOW to CALCULATE your rates, I just want you to use it as a thought process on what our expenses as an artist are to know our worth.

Additionally I would like to add, again this is my humble opinion, but a Pro artist discount DOESN'T COUNT, that is OUR privilege as you all know we don't get them just like that, we have to apply and "prove our worth". It's not an excuse to charge "deeply discounted rates".

No one hires us to do what they can do, they hire us because we can do something they can't with products they don't have.

I completely understand having Promotional rates which are discounted for certain events like a Prom Discount where you expect volume, but make it known that this is a limited special DISCOUNTED offer, and let yourself know that too...it should never be the norm. Keep that for the Proms and Parties and OFF Commercial sets.

But what if that commercial shoot says they have no budget? here's one more logical explanation, feel free to call them out on it too:

We have no budget, shoot for free for my clothing line website.

Clothing which will be sold for money right? so you're working for free/cheap to help them market to get sales in $$$$ and you get?....nada

Know your expenses, know your worth.

Finally, if you are doing this as a hobby or your charging these ridiculously low rates because you have a "REAL" job....then quite frankly...GTFOH!!!!!!!!!!!

WE took the plunge to make a career and living off of this and how dare you piss on our lively hood. GO.AWAY.

I hope I'm making sense, you know the accent comes out when I get all emotional, I also hope that it gets you to think differently about how to calculate your rates.

MUA Mani: Giraffe Print Paws

2012-01-06T19:50:00.001-05:00

OMG....

dies

dies...

faints

I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee Giraffe print, because I love Giraffe's, prob because we're related, their print is sooo gorgeous. So when I decided to pick up a new Salon Effects to try out, I damn near died when I saw this print..I'm guessing it's new because there were a few others that I may try out...but for now..

GIRAFFE LOVE!!!!!!! <3

oh the opulence!

faints

Sally Hansen Salon Effects

Buh-bye 2011: The Recap

2012-01-03T01:00:00.002-05:00

So we've said goodbye to 2011 and moved on to 2012 and here are my fave highlights for the Lipstick Diary and my randomness!

I will warn you, I'm just typing this as I think back, so read as a random conversation, not in chronological order and "with an accent" :)

2011 Marked me breaking into a new market and a whole new life....Welcome to Hotlanta!

Here the Lipstick Diary got a complete revamp and face lift! whoop!

I started weekly columns Ask SAJ a beauty advice column and FTW Wednesdays: Makeup Ideas FTW!

I got addicted to fun manis, got back into my DIY's reorganizing my jewelry was my fave ever! I love looking at it while drifting to sleep ( mostly because it sparkles ^_^), I celebrated my 1 year wedding anniversary! yay!, Met some great people here and made a great new friends.

I got to shoot with my sister Hana again who is basically my muse who also had a great 2011 :)

Had really great shoots, both beauty, editorial and commercial with great teams.

Finally hosted my first blog giveaway of many more to come!

Re-launched my website www.makeupbysaj.com with an online party! super proud of that. Re-branded myself and got more focused toward the business end of things.

I met the amazing Sam Fine yay! and was able to put into effect a key piece of advice that he gave, becoming a corporation..done and done! introducing SAJ Mack LLC! yayyyyy!!!!!

hmm...what else?...

I saved lots of women from this: MESS..more to be saved in 2012

Oh I cut off all my hair too >_< oh dear...but I love it!

I've grown sooo much as an artist in the past year and I'm ready to put everything I've learnt and developed into action.

ooooo I threw glitter everywhereeeeeee! ^_^ and I'm fully restocked for Glitter throwing 2012!

Happy New Year! Best Wishes! and thank you for all your support

xoxo
Saj

Face The Week Wednesdays: Glitter Liner

2011-12-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

Final Makeup Idea intime for New Years eve!

The Glitter Liner look can be worn with any makeup look, smokey eye, natural eye, all colours, all faces, period! It's literally fool proof. I listed the colours that Jessica is wearing if you're interested in re creating this exact look, but again, all u need is to add glitter liner to what ever makeup look you're comfortable with.

-Sweep copper shadow over lids and blend crease with black shadow.

-Line upper and lower lashline with black liner and apply faux lashes

-Multiple coats of mascara to blend

-Line lower ( or upper, or both!) lash line with glitter liner of choice! Pick a colour to match your dress or jewelry!

-Finish with complimentary blush and lip colour and toast to 2012.

Shop Glitter Liners below

glitter eyeliners

Face the Week Wednesdays: Gold Sparkle Shadow

2011-12-21T10:14:00.001-05:00

Hitting closer to the holidays with this weeks Makeup Idea FTW!

Kerri Hilson showing glam with a sparkly gold shadow. What's more festive than sparkle+gold?

To Get this look follow these steps:

- Apply Shadow Primer to help the colours pop (and last through partying)

-Apply Metallic Gold/Sparkly Gold Eyeshadow over entire lid, smudge to lower lashline

-Blend a light brown shadow in the crease to blend, smudge on outer corner of lower lashline

-Highlight brow bone with a champagne shadow

-Line eyes with black liquid liner

-Add Faux Lashes and two coats of mascara

-Line waterline with white pencil or nude pencil for a more subtle look (optional)

-Finish with matching pink blush and pink lipgloss

and Voila! enjoy a look that dazzles with each blink under the mistletoe ;)

Shop the look below:

gold glitter eye makeup

Face The Week Wednesdays: Silver Smokey Eye

2011-12-14T18:20:00.000-05:00

For this week's Makeup Idea FTW! We continue with our holiday looks to get you ready for the upcoming holiday parties!

What better look to pair with a classic black dress, sequins or glitter pumps than a silver smokey eye!

J Hud wears this eye makeup well (minus the brows which could do with some work)

I recommend using an eye primer, or cream eyeshadow base before applying eyeshadow to make the colours really pop! ( if you have neither of the two, use the left over foundation on your sponge/brush)

-Start by applying your silver shadow over eyelids

- then sweep a bit of shimmery black shadow on the outer corners blend that out with a matte black shadow.
- Smudge the shimmery black shadow under the eyes to give the smokey effect.
-Finish with liquid black liner over top lash line and a black eyeliner pencil for the bottom water line.
-Bronzer on the cheeks Sparkly sheer gloss pulls it together!.

Shop the look below! OR win this EXACT look with my Holiday Makeup Collection Giveaway!

silver smokey eye

ASK SAJ: How to Apply Fake Lashes?

2011-12-09T14:00:00.000-05:00

Samantha and Chantal P. ask
How do I apply false lashes?

Lashes can be a beautiful thing to spice your look up and add extra glam for special occasions.

The first steps to a great faux lash are the actual lashes of course!

HOW TO CHOOSE LASHES
-Go for human hair lashes: ( you might not have noticed it but they really are made from hair) the cheaper ones are made with a plastic type fiber that will never look natural.

-Full strip lashes: Full strips are way easier to apply on yourself than individual lashes and they are made with specific looks to give you the effect you need.

- Lashes with invisible bands: The band of the lash is the strip where the hairs are attached, I recommend the strips where the band is clear as opposed to a solid black strip which looks un natural and they are harder to apply.

Lashes with Invisible band easier and more natural looking

Lashes with Solid band harder to apply not as natural looking

-Natural style lash: I firmly believe that just like anything other enhancement, it should look NATURAL, it's better to have someone say "Wow your lashes are really nice" as opposed to "Oh great fake lashes".

My fave lashes are the Ardell 110 and 117 lash and both are available in black and brown.

Ardell 110

Ardell 117

If you're walking around a corner and we can see your lashes BEFORE YOU...take em off..okay.
~~I was going to post a pic of that...but i can't~~

Next is the application

APPLICATION TOOLS
-Adhesive: Those little tubes of glue that come with the lashes? DUMP THEM, they are the leading cause of "lifting lashes" on 1 of every 5 women -___- Pros use Duo eyelash adhesive, and Ardell makes their brand of it, along with a few other types. Revlon also makes a great adhesive. Those are the only three that I know of that are great. ( if you know any other feel free to share :) )

- Tweezers: used to pick up the lash and place it to your lashes, personally I suck at this, I do much better with my fingers than tweezers.

-Cuticle Scissors: Chances are, 99.9% of the time, a full strip of lash will be to long for your eyes, use a cuticle scissors to cut them to size.

APPLICATION

To apply your lashes just follow a few basic guidelines and eventually it will become easy to apply.

-Remove lashes from case with fingers or tweezers and place along your eye (without glue) starting at the beginning of your real lashes. If the strip of lashes go past the outer corner of your eye, pinch the excess to mark the spot, remove from eye and cut with small scissors. Repeat the same for second lash.

- Curl your natural lashes ( if needed) and apply a light coat of mascara, if your makeup look calls for a liner, do this now also.

-Once this is done for both lashes, apply a small amount of glue along the strip, wave it for a few seconds to get the glue tacky, making the glue get a bit tacky will prevent the lashes from sliding off and lifting while waiting to dry. Place the strip on top, against your natural lash-line and press it gently in place. Try not to stick it to the skin above your lash-line.

*Trick Alert!* Now it's going to be tricky getting the lashes in the right spot, so to make it easier here's what you do. Place a mirror on a table and look down into the mirror, that will place your eyelids in a perfect postion to place the lashes in the exact spot!

Once your lashes are dry and in place, you can finish with another coat of mascara to blend your real lashes into the false lashes.

To remove your lashes ( this depends on the glue you have used) Gently pinch the outer corner of the lashes and "peel" the lashes off, this should be easy and painless. Be sure to check the removal instructions of your adhesive before doing so. Clean the glue and mascara off with makeup remover or alcohol and place them back in the tray until your next use!

Hope this helps ladies!

Check out some lashes below:

ardell lashes

MAKEUP GIVEAWAY: Black Opal Limited Edition Holiday Collection

2011-12-09T10:27:00.000-05:00

CONTEST CLOSED!
CHECK BACK FOR FUTURE GIVEAWAYS

I have the honour of teaming up with Black Opal Cosmetics to host a very special giveaway for you guys! woot!!!!!

Black Opal's recently Launched Holiday Collection featuring two gorgeous palettes: Brookell's Silver Platter and Hana's Pot of Gold.

The palettes are named after Black Opal's True Beauty Model Contest winner and finalist

Of course you guys know that Hana is my sister...AND has an eyeshadow palette named after her?

* sniff sniff tear so proud!*

To the goodies!

The Giveaway Prizes:

TWO Prize Holiday Collection Kits are up for grabs:

The Gold Goddess Kit

Hana's Pot of Gold Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette.

Inside the Gold Goddess Kit:

Gold Goddess Collection Prize Kit!

-Hana's Pot of Gold Eyeshadow Palette

- Lengthening Mascara (Black)

-Liquid Eyeliner (Black)

-Patent Lips Liquid Lipstick (Nude Scene)

-Color Fusion Mosaic (Raspberry Blush)

The Silver Siren Kit

Brookell's Silver Platter Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette

Inside the Silver Siren Kit:

Silver Siren Collection Prize Kit!

-Brookell's Silver Platter Eyeshadow Palette

-Lengthening Mascara (Black)

- Liquid Eyeliner (Silver)

-Patent Lips Liquid Lipstick (Glam)

-Color Fusion Mosaic (Shimmer Bronzer)

HOW TO ENTER:

*you must do the following to be entered into the giveaway*

1. Subscribe/Follow my blog The Lipstick Diary

2. Like MakeupbySAJ and Black Opal Beauty on Facebook ( clicks names to go to fan page )

3. Follow @makeupbysaj and @blackopalbeauty on Twitter (click names to go to twitter page)

4. Comment on this post saying which colour kit you would like "Silver Siren" or "Gold Goddess"

5. Click to Tweet the following: RT: I just entered to WIN a@BlackOpalBeauty HOLIDAY MAKEUP COLLECTION from @Makeupbysaj!!! CLICK HERE TO ENTER: http://bit.ly/svGw5b

That's it!

If you don't have a twitter account that's okay.

PLEASE be sure to COMMENT with your Colour choice.

Winners will be selected by random.org and will be announced on the 21st December 2011.

Good Luck!!

xoxo
Saj

ASK SAJ: The deal on Translucent Powder

2011-12-02T13:18:00.001-05:00

Anonymous asks:

" What is the deal with translucent powder? Sorry if this is a silly question but what does it do?"

On the contrary this is a very good question!

Translucent Powder is a "colourless" powder, usually in loose form, used to set makeup.

Cream Foundations ( yes even those claiming to be cream to powder), Liquid Foundations, Cream Blush, Cream Shadows, Liquid Shadows etc all can be set with a dusting of translucent powder.

What makes Translucent Powder special is that it is considered to be No colour, so it will not shift the colour of the base you are applying it to.

I'm pretty sure that we've all seen a great foundation match altered drastically by a powder that was heavily pigmented ( especially on deep skin tones)

With that said, it's time to go into just how translucent is translucent?

If you go out looking for a translucent powder, chances are what you will find is a White powder. Now it doesn't have white pigment, so it won't have the effect as let's say white eyeshadow, but it can only be as invisible as the BASE allows it to be.

So for example on porcelain-light skin tones it would be completely invisible but on medium to deep/dark tones you will see a slight haze over the skin which to me dulls down the natural richness and glow of the complexion.

Hubby's wonderfully hairy arm shows us the "white" translucent powder and a "brown" translucent powder, can you find the brown?

Whats a girl to do then?

Thankfully many makeup companies, both drug store and department store brands have created what I call "tinted" translucent powders, which can be considered the powder version of a tinted moisturizer.

While still working as an "invisible" powder, the powder itself is slightly tinted in shades of pink, yellow, brick and brown to relate to the undertones of the skin, getting rid of the dulling haze without interfering with the base colour.

These are a few of my translucent powders just to show a range of "tints" the picture made them look even more"tinted" than they do in person.

Translucent powder is definitely a must have for any girl wearing foundation.

FYI when buying make sure it says TRANSLUCENT on the packaging, especially if it's "tinted" to make sure you're not getting a heavily pigmented product.

Hope this answers your question!

Shop translucent powders below:

translucent loose powder

Face The Week Wednesdays: SMOKEY EYE

2011-11-30T11:46:00.001-05:00

HOLIDAY EDITION:

The holidays are officially around the corner which means lots of parties, gatherings and sequins! yay!

For the entire month of December all Face The Week Makeup Ideas/Inspiration will be holiday themed, what better time for new makeup and new looks to try out!

Our first is the classic smouldering Smokey Eye worn here effortlessly by Posh.

Keep your smokey eye clean and tight, along the lash line and eyelid, not going past your crease to re- create this look that is wearable with any outfit!

Shop the look below!

smokey eye

Product Review: Pür Minerals

2011-11-26T18:16:00.001-05:00

At a Pretty City Beauty Sample Sale, I picked up this starter kit from Pür Minerals for myself. It was at a discounted price so I thought why not! I'll treat myself and test out at the same time. Win win!

The kit came with the following Products:

Correcting Primer

4 in 1 Pressed Powder Foundation: Light Tan

Mineral Glow (bronzer)

Impact + Mascara

Chisel Brush

Additionally I was given a complimentary Lipgloss with the purchase AND a goody bag with more products...um...#winning!!!

The additional products were:

Marble Powder Universal Blush: Bronze

Lipgloss: Crystal Pink, I Heart Pür

Eye Pencil: Polished Stone

Lip Plumping Lip Gloss Crystal Pink

Marble Powder Blush

What makes Pür Minerals special is that each product contains skin-perfecting ingredients which should correct skin issues such as discolouration, fine lines etc while covering flawlessly.

The line comes in a range of shades in the Light, Tan and Dark categories so it should be easy to find a match. The ladies at the event matched my shade for me in order to purchase my kit.

The application steps are super easy and fool proof and the before and after difference is pretty dramatic, as a makeup artist I'm always asked about mineral products which usually get a thumbs down from me, but with this product...well...watch the vid below of my applying the makeup and see for yourself!

After pic! Watch vid for before, during and after :)

What They Say:

"We know lots of makeup can make you look pretty, but how many can improve clarity or diminish fine lines? 89% saw and improvement in skin tone and over 95% reported a firmer feel and finish. Get an instantly flawless look plus correct your skin's appearance!" *results from 8 weeks clinical study*

I purchased this kit on the 9th of November and used it the next day, every day since then..guys I'm actually seeing a difference on day 17. I will keep at it until day 60 and update you on my skin's status!

Also I did mention in my video that the primer didn't work well for me, but they do have a pretty vast skin care range so I will test out a few of the other primers to see which is better suited to my skin.

I'm fascinated by this brand and it's based out of Atlanta,GA so I plan to find out more about it! and I have my eye on this product to try out next:

Hot Rocks!!

Sajies say that it's Pür Love!

Shop the products below:

pur minerals makeup

ASK SAJ: How do hide dark under eye circles?

2011-11-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

Monica and Dee ask:
"How do I hide dark under eye circles?"

A question every woman asks, I actually expected this to be my first question! but better late than never :)

As a Pro Makeup Artist, hiding dark circles is a bit on the technical side for us, factoring in colour theory, what colour the "circles" are, shooting film, TV or print etc

But for the every day woman, hiding dark circles is easier than you think!

Two key products will be needed: Foundation and Concealer

Again these products will come in various formulas but the main two are creams and liquids, any thing else is just a variation of these two. ( For help on choosing a formula check out the Cream vs Liquid post HERE)

Personally I go for cream as it lasts longer, but if I do reach for a "liquid" concealer I choose one with a thick consistency, not a light runny liquid..the existence of those confuse me. :/

Shade:
The shade of your foundation or concealer plays a big role in correcting dark circles ( this also applies for dark scars, birth marks etc). A factor in choosing your shade also depends on how you wear your makeup, e.g if you wear foundation or if you don't wear foundation at all.

Deep Skin tone example: First swatch is your exact skin tone match, second swatch is one shade lighter, third swatch ..don't.you.dare.ever.

Lighter Skin Tone example: First swatch is your exact skin tone match, second swatch is one shade lighter, third swatch ..don't.you.dare.ever.

If you wear Foundation: Your concealer should be HALF to ONE shade lighter..NOT GO FROM DARK TO LIGHT...seriously...( i can't) see illustration 1. and 2. below

If You Don't Wear Foundation: Your concealer has to match your skin tone EXACTLY

Application:

With Foundation: Apply your half to one shade lighter concealer under your eyes with your fingers, sponge, brush and blend the edges out going down towards your cheek. Then go over it and complete your face with your exact shade of foundation. The Foundation must go over the concealer, once finished lightly set with translucent loose powder.

What you should now see is a fresh faced appearance, if you see and obvious or overdone lightness under your eyes then the concealer was too light a shade....because you ignored what I said..hmph.

Without Foundation: For the lucky ladies that have flawless or near perfect skin with only dark under eye issues, your concealer should match your skin EXACTLY, remember that you have nothing else to blend it with, to too light or too dark..you WILL look like "that girl" dating "that guy".

I recommend testing out different textures to see which sits on your skin seamlessly, when do you find the right texture and EXACT shade use your ring finger to apply or a small fluffy brush, this will help control the amount of product, keeping the application light ( not shade..application). Be sure to blend edges out. Lightly set with loose translucent powder.

With that said, there are lots of "brightening" "light reflecting" "diamond encrusted" "Edward skin formula" products out there on the market that "promise" to brighten under eyes blablbla which..my opinion, try it, if it works for you, awesome! which i doubt

Inside the Issue:

While we are busy hiding our dark circles, I just wanted to touch on the subject of what you can do to prevent/reverse the issue as opposed to a life time of hiding:

-DRINK.WATER...not vitamin water, or crystal light, or scented water, or what ever fancy water is out there.. just plain old H2o

-Sleep..which means logging off facebook and twitter and stop tweeting about going to bed and just go

-Under eye creams/serums/treatments: Under eye skincare is soooo important because the layer of skin is so thin and sheer which is why it gets affected so easily. So using a product daily will most definitely help. Talk to a skin care expert for advice on what to use!

If it turns out to be hereditary .....give your mom the side eye

Hope this helps ladies!
xoxo

full coverage concealer

Face The Week Wednesdays: Olivia's Winged Liner

2011-11-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Olivia Wilde attended the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund Awards with a super clean and fresh makeup look with the focus on her eyes.

This modern take on the winged eyeliner is not only a great look to try out, but you don't need lots of product OR time to make this happen! FTW!

Lip Gloss by Elizabeth Arden

ASK SAJ: Liquid vs Cream Foundation

2011-11-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

Rudina, S. Harris and Renee ask:
"How do I match my foundation? do I match to my arm? and should I choose cream or liquid?"

A question I've been waiting for :), thank you ladies!

First things first...How to match your foundation. Do you match it on the top portion of your arm? or the inner side?

I'll answer that question with a question..Where does your foundation go?

THE FACE!

(yes I'm dramatic....but stick with me)

The rule of thumb is: Match your product where you will be using it.

If your foundation is being used on your face then you need to match it ON your face...not your arm or your knees.

The best place to match for your face is close to your jawline as the shade will easily blend to your neck's colour that way.

Also be careful of in-store lighting, if the lights look yellow have them place a few swatches on your face then step outside with a mirror to look at it in natural light. The shade that "disappears" into your skin is your pick. If the lights are white/fluorescent that should be fine but I still always double check outside of the store.

There are also the skin undertone's which are important in picking your makeup, whether you are a pink, yellow, olive or red undertone will determine what colour range you begin your search in. This might be tricky to figure out for some women, for this I'd recommend having a one on one consultation.

So now you know how to pick your colour, how do you pick your texture?

Liquid Foundation vs Cream

Both are great products and they do fall into a personal preference category, but there are some facts that should help you decided on which type is best for you.

-Coverage: If you have discolouration, hyper-pigmentation, scars or texture issues with your skin, then a cream product will give you better coverage and control to even and smooth out texture.

Note also that just because it's cream doesn't mean it should be heavy like a mask, apply a thin layer of your foundation over your entire face and go back in ONLY on the areas with scars/pigment issues that need a bit more product.

-Dry Skin: Try a liquid foundation if you have dry skin, this would be easier to apply as opposed to cream which could end up looking patchy on your skin.

-Great Skin: No skin issues, or scars but you just need something to have a more polished look. For this I'd go for the in-between combo of a tinted moisturizer. Not as runny as a liquid, but not a solid cream. These tend to be the same texture as body lotion. They don't usually give super coverage for scars so if you do have one or two, maybe add a bit of concealer to the routine.

-Oily Skin: I recommend cream products or tinted moisturizers for oily skin, as a liquid will not win the battle against the oil.

Finally, to accompany your chosen texture, you must pair it with a setting powder. This should be a LOOSE translucent powder, not a pressed compact.

Bonus Round!

Pressed Powder Foundations:

These come in compact form and are a pressed powder with pigment to give coverage. It's important to know that this IS a foundation so using this to set a cream or liquid foundation is only piling on the pigment and will not properly set your base. Cause that oh so common pancake creasing look.

These can be used on their own for a light coverage with a brush and a medium to heavy coverage with a dry or damp sponge. Some brands are also pretty good at hiding scars so concealer may not be needed. This is not recommended for dry skin, dry + dry= dry twice, not a good look.

Hope this helps!

Check out these products below, let me know what you try and feel free to share pictures!

good foundation

Karl Lagerfield for Sephora

2011-11-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

Karl Lagerfield Mr. Branding King himself (seriously he is a walking branding machine) has teamed up with Spehora to bring you Karl Lagerfield for Sephora.

How cute is the eyeshadow palette!

Sad part, it's exclusively for Sephora Europe and Singapore....booooo :( what about US! :(

Uncle Karl shaped Shadow and doll!

Polish

Makeup Bag

Glitter Snow Globe

Which one of my euro lovelies will help me get that shadow palette?!

xoxo

Product Review: Sally Hansen Salon Effects

2011-11-10T11:26:00.002-05:00

Bling It On

On the quest to find an affordable mani that lasts more than one second on my nails ( i can't!!!) I decided to give into the hype of Sally Hansen's Salon Effects.

I picked up a box of Bling it On which is a pink glitter ......duh!! LOL

The box comes with two packs of nail strips, 8 stickers in each, instruction sheet, cuticle stick and mini file.

Box contents

The instructions are pretty simple, clean nails with remover, match size of strip to nail, peel protective layer, stick, and file to remove excess.

Placing strip

First nail done!

My first hand went on pretty easy and I was dazzling in my pink sparklezzzzzz yay!!! The left hand was an b#$tch to get on ( I'm left handed) but I found even the strips were difficult in that they were tearing really easy when peeling off the paper layer in comparison to the right hand.

Reading the instructions more it suggested that warmer hands help, and I was working in a cold corner of my apt...so I think by the time I got to my left hand it was maybe too cold? I don't know...I'm guessing here.

So I finally got both hands done and only had to redo two on my left hand...and voila!!!

SPARKLEZZZZZ

I loveeeeeeeeeee how it looks, and these come in MANY patterns and solid colours so it's fun choosing which one next!

I have five strips left over which I will use to repair/replace as I go along.

Left over pink sparklez makes Saj sad :( and no It can't be saved lol it dries up

The box says it lasts up to 10 days, and I'm pretty sure it CAN last that long if not more....of course as soon as I finished and went to the bedroom my index finger chipped and when I woke up a few more nails were chipped.

I'm typing this on day three of wearing them, I should also add that last night I had a sugar hand scrub and shea butter massage and the strips didn't budge. See below what it looks like now:

The strips are pretty sturdy once applied, even when I messed one up, it took a lot of scraping to get it off. I will say that I really don't judge nail products based on how it chips on MY nails...because my nails are on another level...who chips a STICKER within minutes?? I can't....

Application Tips:
-If you have cold hands, I'd suggest using a blowdryer on a low heat setting to warm the strips up AFTER you've applied it but BEFORE you file off the excess.
- When filing off excess pull the file downwards in one direction, not back and forth, to help wrap the edges over your nail tip.

Have you tried these before? Comment and let me know which pattern you love!

Oh and in Sajville the Sajies LOVE LOVE pink sparklez

Shop the different patterns below:

salon effects

Face The Week Wednesdays: Lala's Pretty Pink Lip

2011-11-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Glamour hosted the 2011 Women of the Year and Lala looked amazing and flawless on the red carpet.

Did I mention flawless?

Try out this simple but breathtaking look for your next event in a few easy steps:

- Sweep a light brown shadow over lid and blend into crease

-Define brows and highlight brow bone with a cream ( the colour ) shadow

-Smudge a sage green shimmer shadow along the lashline

-Highlight inner corners with white gold shimmer shadow

-Define cheeks with a bronzer and pink blush combo

-Apply full strip lashes with two coats of mascara

-Apply a full coat of pink lip gloss

Need products for the look? Check out the recommendations below:

Makeup Sets by Urban Decay